Immigration authority is found to interview a asylum seeker in Helsinki. File Photo – Lehtikuva.
The number of asylum seekers has increased by more than a third in the first half of 2015 compared to the previous year.
According to the Finnish Immigration Service, there has been an average of 388 applicants per month. The service anticipates that up to 5,000 people might seek asylum in Finland this year.
Most seekers come from Iraq, followed by Somalia and Kosovo. The number of Somalis seeking asylum has especially grown this year.
Across Europe, the number of asylum seekers has generally increased, though Sweden has seen a slight decline.
The Immigration Service warns that the average processing time for decision making on applications of asylum seekers might increase beyond 170 days, since resources for the decision-making process are allocated based on previous years’ needs.
The asylum reception centres are now at 91 per cent capacity.
